Journey Examples

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

2. Protagonist Power

2.Your protagonist should save the day (or destroy it). Protagonist is the “first
actor”, the character most active in the story. Most importantly, he or she should be the one who resolves the conflict in the climactic scene. No one else
should solve the mystery, or discover the secret, or arrive just in time to save
the day. The plot should force the protagonist to make choices and take
actions, and the course of plot events should change in response to those
choices and actions.

Example: In Casablanca, Rick overcomes his alienation and with cunning and duress, gets Ilsa and her husband Laszlo safely on the plane out of Nazi territory. His sacrifice (he loves Ilsa) shows that he has reached the destination of his journey to affiliation and commitment. This is reinforced when, after he kills the Nazi major, he and his friend Renault join the Resistance, fully committing to the cause.

Your turn! Look at the climax towards the end of your story, that big exciting scene where the main external conflict (like the Nazis' attempt to send Laszlo to a concentration camp) is resolved. What can your protagonist do to resolve the conflict? How does this action show that the main character has reached the end of the character journey (like Rick's journey from alienation to commitment).